Today we have been notified that a child could possibly have scarlet fever. This is not a confirmed case. However as we are unsure as to whether this is scarlet fever or not we thought that we would send home this piece of information taken from Public Health England indicating the symptoms of scarlet fever.

The symptoms of scarlet fever are non-specific in early illness and may include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours the characteristic red, generalised pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. On more darkly-pigmented skin, the scarlet rash may be harder to spot, although the “sandpaper” feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and pallor around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a ‘strawberry tongue’. During convalescence peeling of the skin may occur at the tips of fingers and toes and less often over wide areas of the trunk and limbs.

If you believe your child has the above symptoms please get them checked by a health professional.

Kind regards,

Jamie Smart